Possibly Lean's most complicated movie, Kwai is a towering work.

Effective melodrama with some satisfying emotional confrontations, particularly from Lana Turner.

One of the most legendary tear-jerkers of the 20th century.

In its best scenes, it adds dynamism and British grit to a genre that had previously tried to get by on atmospherics and mood alone. It manages to be shocking without being especially frightening, and its virtues of performance and style remain striking.

It's not as poetic as My Darling Clementine or as historically accurate as Sturges' sequel-remake, Hour Of The Gun, but it is a wonderful evocation of the brassy Westerns of the 50s, when Burt and Kirk demonstrated more machismo than a whole posse of Arnies or Slys.

Sidney Lumet's dazzling debut, based on Reginald Rose's teleplay, delivers a masterclass in the pure dynamism of acting, as Henry Fonda's reasonable doubt gradually sways the 11 other jurors from their various prejudices.

Whilst paranoid in a very 1950's way and a little downbeat at times this is very enjoyable.

Hitchcock's coldest, hardest movie until its controversial ending.

Though glossy, Sirk's film is tightly structured, with a creative manipulation of light and reflection, and heavy with the symbolism of male destructiveness. Unflinching in its often ugly revelation of character and consequence, it's an intense and powerful film.

Entertaining Sunday afternoon stuff.

Despite half-a-dozen recent attempts to "correct" this biopic, Minnelli's agonised portrait of the life of Vincent Van Gogh remains the definitive movie word on the subject.

Who could ever buy Atticus Finch as the demonic Ahab driven by hellfire to hunt down that dreaded white whale?

Even though he was just staring out, Kubrick instantly mastered the crime genre. A stunning film.

Hitch's remake of his own film results in an equally compelling action thriller with sterling performances from Stewart and Day.

In 1956 audiences flocked to The Searchers precisely because it was a John Wayne western, and lapped up its mix of Injun-fightin' action, rough comic knockabout and intense, emotional storyline. Seen now, it is all that and much, much more.

A number of decent performances and a gritty realistic view of London makes this little sci-fi spin-off still worth a look.

A raw, blood-soaked glare into the seedy underworld of sport, with terrific performances by two of Hollywood's heavyweights.

The film's amazing strengths easily outweigh the odd outbreak of hammery.

Meticulously constructed, beautifully played and poignant.

A 50s horror classic that remains a gem of allegorical paranoia.

Romance novel in narrative this transcends its genre with visual depth and perceptive socio-cultural insights.

Still one of the most thrilling and thoroughly entertaining of all musicals.

More Damon Runyan than Irvine Welsh, but as entertaining as it is important.

The red-jacketed, Method-pouting James Dean steals every scene, but the ensemble playing is nothing short of exemplary.

A brilliant musical that still looks fresh today.

A lighter film for Hitchcock but with a wonderfully sewn narrative and some good performances.

Lesser Hitch, but still superb entertainment.

Ignored for a long time, this film is now impossible to ignore. Mitchum is magnetic.

With cracking music, a rollicking pace and dialogue that stands up to scrutiny, Lady And The Tramp really is among Walt's very best.

Enormously influential, it spawned Hollywood's interest in smaller scale, prosaic dramas, few of which failed to match its resonance.

Steinbeck himself praised it for reaching the parts his book couldn't. Need a better endorsement?

Originating the genre of 'dedicated teacher reaches troubled kids in a ghetto school', this is still affecting although heavy-handed.

Mason's urbane genius and Douglas' dimpled two-fistedness (and stripy sailor shirt) beef up a floppy script.

1954 musical that is woefully miscast in places and extremely dubious in its portrayal of African-Americans but does boast an on-form Dorothy Dandridge.

Hollywood over-indulgence at its best.

Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone's tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year.

Entertaining satire from a talented cast.

Overdone and not particularly tasteful musical stuff and nonsense.

Flawless, essential viewing that would earn more than its five stars if only Empire would allow it.

Great songs, great set pieces and solid performances in this colourful and infectiously enjoyable musical.

We must salute screenwriter Budd Schulberg (his speech for priest Karl Malden in the loading bay is still stirring). Add the acting/writing heroics a restrained score by Leonard Bernstein and a striking, charcoal look by cinematographer Boris Kaufman, and you have an elegiac portrait of labour relations that feels like a kick in the slats.

Still gripping after all this time.

A magnificent comic performance and a film of genial hilarity.

Despite Hitchcock's own reservations this is definitely worth a look. Interesting to his aficionados and darkly funny and depressing in turns.

A classic horror that warms the heart and wets the pants.

It’s a mix of impressive on-location cycle spills (the roaring-down-the-empty-road opening is still a grabber) and embarrassingly hokey rumbles on obvious poverty row sound-stages. Lee Marvin is superbly grungy as a supporting troublemaker, and his character doesn’t sell out by reforming for the love of a weedy but decent woman.

Day is on top form as the boastful sharpshooter, but she's ably matched by her supporting cast and the music.

The spectacular last-reel recreation of the bombing makes this, Michael Bay notwithstanding, the Pearl Harbor film to beat, but the unquestioned highlight is the famous on‑the‑beach adultery scene between virile sergeant Lancaster and an unusually unladylike Kerr, with the waves crashing around them to symbolise their unrestrained passions.

Witty, warm and beautifully filmed by Franz Planer and Henri Alekan, it remains an unabashed romantic delight, with Hepburn particularly luminescent. [Review of re-release]

A perfect backstage musical.

Interesting depiction with a pretty decent performance from Holden and supported by a credible cast.

Entertaining in places, if only for the fact that unlike most 50s si-fi films, the aliens are treated with some sympathy.

Tries just a tad too hard to be a classic, with Ladd's Roy Rogers woodenness not quite getting the depths of author Jack Schaefer's fallen hero, but the support - Jean Arthur as the yearning farmer's wife, Ben Johnson as the conscience-struck bully - are excellent, and some scenes lodge forever in your memory.

It'll never be remembered as a Hitchcock classic by any stretch, but that is far from saying it's the mess that some regard it as. It's entertaining, and the visuals speak volumes more than the over-cooked dialogue. Worth a look.

Definitely a Disney classic but misses out much of the darker side of J.M.Barrie's fantasy tale.

Douglas' teeth-clenched, dimple-thrusting megalomaniac is among his best work, while the gossipy screenplay (another Oscar winner) is served wonderfully by Minnelli's lush melodramatics.

Elements of self parody from the master of slapstick leave you yearning for the early work that made his name. But it's worth a watch to see Chaplin and Keaton in one of few on-screen appearances together.

Ideal Sunday afternoon fare.

Not quite as fully realised as the classic Adam's Rib, but generally good.

This is a must-see film for its unashamed romanticism, its breathtaking visual delirium, the excellent performance of Cusack as the only rational person in the county and the sheer spirit with which the fundamental daftness of the plot is served up.

Incredible set pieces and songs that have entered the culture forever, this is also extremely well-paced and beautifully played. Truly one of the greatest musicals ever made.

A perfect ensemble of cast, photography and screenplay are all subtly handled through Huston's direction, bringing out Bogart and Hepburn's performances beautifully.

Kurosawa is always worth a look but this is a particular classic that has influenced so much to come, it's almost essential.

Enough large-scale spectacle scenes to outweigh the inevitable religiose sludge that creeps in between them.

The plotting - Kelly's struggling painter falls for Leslie Caron's French waif, engaged to nice but dull Georges Guétary - lacks the pace, exuberance and wit of, say, Singin' In The Rain, but compensates with fantastic Technicolor visuals..., George Gershwin's sublime music (pick of the tunes: I've Got Rhythm, S'Wonderful and Our Love Is Here To Stay), sublime art direction from the great Cedric Gibbons and astounding choreography and footwork from Kelly.

Alec Guinness shines in this hilarious British comedy.

The intricate work of a craftsman, and a beautiful appearance by the beguiling Simone Sigornet.

This is a superbly crafted, landmark film which invested a much-derided and frequently ludicrous genre with a welcome degree of dignity and respectability.

Epic performances in a movie that seethes with atmosphere.

It's colourful, fun and as surreal as Disney is ever likely to get, this isn't as good as the books, but works as a cute introduction to them.

Evocative and endearing - a worthy string to the Lean bow.

Magnificent absurdist crime drama from the master of suspense.

Great performances lifts this movie above its stilted script and production.

The stinging bon mots occasionally sound handcrafted rather than raspingly spontaneous, but aspiring actress Anne Baxter’s rise to the top over the corpse of her supposed idol, Bette Davis, remains rousing and endlessly amusing.

Subtle, savage and insightful but with such a big heart it is as moving as it is informative about the value of making art that moves.

With such a strong cast, the film almost turns into an ensemble film instead of a star vehicle for Stewart in his first of many collaborations with Mann. An Archetypal Western with the required cowboys, gunfights and damsels in distress, it has become an all time favourite.

Peck's tired resignation, and the authentic atmosphere and building tension make for a compelling retribution drama of the West.

A tight plot that's enriched by wonderfully crafted characters that each have their own key weaknesses.

The director left France during the German Occupation and, many critics would argue, his work never reached the same heights again. But, even with its immediate contemporary relevance softened, this film alone is enough to seal his reputation, as its playful love games, satirical bite and technical marvels refuse to diminish.

Yes, it's beautiful, and yes, it's classic. But it's also got rather a bland pair of lead characters. That said, it's still enjoyable family entertainment, and shall remain forever so.

This was the film which fixed Wayne's image forever as a tough-as-leather patriot with a well-hidden heart.

Darker and more subtly complex than you'd expect from a 1950s crime caper.

Delightful, athletic stuff with some unusual - but wonderful - location shooting. New York never looked better.

A beautifully presented tale of love, honor and duty from a master film-maker.

This has many more plus points than critics at the time were willing to admit.

The Third Man finally endures because it offers a simple thing that so many modern films neglect: the power of story...Revolutionary film noir with a clutch of stunning central turns.

Magnificent examination of the criminal mind and Cagney's finest moment.

A 1949 for-kids version of the King Kong story still boasting a lot of charm.

A shining example of everything Hollywood falling into place, and a masterpiece of cinema.

Curious allegorical epic which was supposed to speak to Allied spirits during the second world war but was a trifle obscure in its symbolism even then.

Olivier's classic and personalised version of the troubled Prince of Denmark is still highly atmospheric and intriguing.

A strange foreboding of what was to come from the Hitch.

Beautifully directed with a lovely visual lyricism, this film packs a western punch with perfect performances and a fine script.

Perfectly tense atmosphere and performances, with the sparks flying between Bogart and Bacall.

A little bit of going through the motions with this horror spoof but fans will enjoy.

Like "The Searchers", this is so brilliant that the only real effect of the other versions is to make you want to watch the original again.

Sexual tension hangs in the air as the wind blows and native drums beat, but it's on a visual level that the film excels.

This is still the definitive version of Charles Dickens' atmospheric and occasionally creepy classic.